The present invention relates to record storage apparatus employing a stack of flexible record storage disks and particularly to methods and apparatus for accessing a record surface on any selected one of the disks in a stack of disks.
The above-identified, commonly assigned, copending, patent applications claim and disclose inventions related to generating access to a record surface in a stack of flexible disks using alterations of air flow (hence, pressure) for facilitating generating an access opening. Other means of generating an access opening include insertion of a disk separator from the outer peripheries of the disks, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,852,820 and 3,838,462. The method of fluidic access opening generation appear to have certain advantages over mechanically generating an access opening in reduced wear of the disk surfaces. Changing air flow requires a certain amount of time. This time requirement means increased access time to a record surface. In a data processing system, such increased accessing time diminish the value of the record storage apparatus within a data processing system by increasing the total cost of operation of the system. Accordingly, it is desirable to reduce the change in air flow to a minimum while rapidly generating a transducer access opening employing fluidic actuation techniques.